MEET THE AUTHOR: Inspiring people through writing

Godius Rweyongeza is a Sokoine University Student (SUA), pursuing a bachelor of science in horticulture. He is an entrepreneur and author. Success Magazine interviewed him about his writing career. Godius has authored 5 books so far in Kiswahili.

Which book inspired you to begin writing?

Think and grow rich is the book which ignited my writing spirit. When I read the book, I found a very profound statement which said that, “…all riches begin with an idea”. The book offered enormous examples of people who had ideas and acted upon them and ended up becoming brilliant in their fields. It was at that time when I decided that I needed to make an impact on society through writing.

What are your books about?

I have so far authored five books, these are, Kutoka sifuri mpaka kileleni, Tatizo si rasilimali zilizopotea, Nyuma ya ushindi, Mambo 55 ya kuzingatia kabla ya kuanzisha biashara and Jinsi ya kuibua ubunifu ulio ndani yako.

In all these books, I make readers tap in to their inner potential. As it’s known, every person living today has a great idea that hasn’t been explored. Unfortunately most people never know what their worth is. My books help everyone realize their inner brilliance. One of my books talks about business and all the things to consider before your next jump in business.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I started writing soon after graduating A-level. When I was in form five I had a dozen of questions about success. I wanted to know how people made millions of money through the internet while others made none. I wanted to know why in the same environment there were people who were rich while others were poor. These and many other questions pushed me to look for more information! It was at this time when I discovered I was getting a lot of knowledge through reading different books and articles. I therefore decided to share the information I got by writing online articles before progressing to physical copies.

What topics interest you right now?

I have four areas of interest right now which are leadership, goals, talents and business.

How has writing changed you as a person?

Writing books has totally changed my life. First it has changed the way I look at things. Right now I look at things from an author’s perspective. In every sound I hear, there is something to learn and hence I write. In every person I meet there is something to listen to, gain. In every book I read there is something to share with other people through writing. Therefore my observation skills have changed dramatically.

Writing has also increased my thinking capacity to the highest extent. It has also helped me to see the good where others see the worst. And of course, by now I have my own philosophy which states that, I can get what I want if I assist other people to get what they want.

What is your writing process?

The first step in writing is to sit down and start writing. But this requires discipline. Therefore I developed a process: I wake up every day at 5:00am and by 5:45am I start writing at least for one hour. During the day, I always come across different ideas to write about. I am always noting these ideas in my notebook so that when I sit down I write about them. My principle is to make sure that I write something regarding my daily encounters.

What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?

The biggest surprise I have gotten so far is seeing people willing to pay for my books a price higher than the one I set. This means that they value the information they get from my writings.

Do you have a favorite book?

I have multiple favourite books. I have a list of hundreds of books I consider to be my favouirte. I repeatedly go through them throughout my life. In additions to the ones I mentioned before, here are two more; What everybody is saying by Joe Navarro and From victim to Victor by Joseph c. Musharika

If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose and why?

Of course without a doubt that book would be Think and grow rich. This book has changed the lives of many people.

Does a bad review affect your writing?

No, there is nothing which can be said about my work which can affect me, unless I allow it to. Therefore any bad review cannot affect my writing.

What did you want to become when you were younger?

I first wanted to become a doctor, then a priest but now I have committed myself to helping people live better lives through writing.

What books are you currently reading?

Body talk by Desmond Morris. I want to read the minds of people who think like a champion. And the way to do this is through understanding the body language. Business Secrets from the Bible - by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. I want to know exactly what makes the Jews the most successful people in the world. And therefore I will learn their principles and techniques and apply them in my life.

Apart from writing, what else do you do?

I am currently a university student and I also cultivate vegetables commercially.

Does your university time table ever get in the way of your writing?

The timetable does not exactly suit my way of writing. But I try to work around it.

What advice do you give developing writers?

Let them write as a hobby and do it every day!

Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years to come?

I see myself as a successful African author, who has touched many lives in Africa and the world at large.